Got Headaches? Get this $15 Neck Massager ASAP

Headaches can often be our body’s way of telling us something is up. When I started getting headaches pretty regularly in my early 20s I realized I was living life super dehydrated, 7 years and 150 ounces of water per day later and I definitely cured one! In my late 20s, headaches started creeping into my routine again, and I realized I needed glasses (aging is rough). They disappeared again but appeared occasionally again about a year ago. After visiting with a doctor to rule out anything concerning, I realized that I just had insanely tight occipital muscles. This isn’t an uncommon problem for those of us who spend our days sitting at a desk ( I spend at least 8 but quite regularly 10-12 hours on a computer each day). Your occipital muscles are the 4 tiny muscles that are located on both sides and just under the back of your head. When I get headaches they are right at the back of my head (where my neck and skull meet).

For the past two years I’ve had a monthly massage membership. It cost over $60 per month and for the most part it was worth it. By having the therapist focus the entire 60-minutes on my occipital muscles I was usually able to loosen them up enough to curb any headaches between monthly appointments. However, after discovering these two products a couple months ago I have since cancelled my membership and am once again living life headache free. I’m telling you, friend, if you are someone who suffers from neck pain or headaches you’ve gotta get your hand on these.

The first product is the Gideon Trigger Point Massager. It is by far the best neck massager I have ever used. The knobs are rubber and can be adjusted so that you get the exact type of contact you need (watch the video below to see how it works). Minimal effort on your part results in major work being done on those hard-to-reach muscles at the base of your skull. I honestly think this little gadget is better able to access and work my pain points than a human, and I love having control over it. It’s also great to be able to use it the second I start feeling like a headache is on it’s way, and able to curb it, rather than suffering through a headache or trying to make a massage appointment.

I’m so serious when I tell you that I love this thing. After having it a couple days I instantly ordered one and had it shipped to my mom. She couldn’t stop texting me about it. I pretty much force it into the hands of anyone who enters my house. I frequently just send the link to people who complain about a headache within earshot of me. It is the best $15 I have ever spent and I guarantee my husband 100% agrees with that (mostly because I no longer ask him to rub my neck!). Here’s a short video of me gushing about this amazing contraption with a short demo on how it works:

If you suffer from a tight neck from sitting at a desk all day, and want an easy at-home therapy you can do to help relieve the problem long-term, you should try this Myofascial Recovery Block. All it requires is that you set it on the ground and lay on it. This helps with something called “occipital release”. You can lay on it as soon as you feel a headache coming on (it claims to get rid of them in 15 minutes!) but I liked using it regularly as a type of occipital therapy. For 2 weeks I would do 10 minute sessions laying on the block and I tried to do it every other day. At the end of two weeks my occiptals had loosened up tremendously and I was amazed.

The combination of the occipital release sessions with the Myofascial Recovery Block and the ability to work my tight neck muscles using the Gideon Trigger Point Massager have been a full-treatment for me. I rarely suffer from headaches anymore if I can keep up with these two simple at-home therapies. And you know what? At less than $60 for both products, it definitely beats paying for a monthly massage membership.